Tapestry Crochet

Another fabulous connection and exchange has occurred - thanks to the internet. This time it involves Bosnian crochet and their hooks! To see what I’m talking about, just take a look at Barbro Heikinmatti’s new blog, Trapper Joel’s Hooks.

Joel’s Bosnian crochet hook.

Thanks Barbro and Joel!

In case you haven’t already found them, I thought I’d tip you off about two very informative articles that appeared yesterday and today on the internet.

For a look at tapestry crochet in the Himalayas, you will enjoy reading Larisa Vilensky’s From Carpets to Jourabs in Issue 11 Spring 2010 Crochet Insider.

These Pamir socks are featured in the recent issue of Crochet Insider.

You might remember Barbro Heikinmatti from my earlier blog. She first wrote about Bosnian crochet in Swedish, then today posted another version in English. As you can see below, Barbro experimented with a number of techniques - all of which are discussed in her blog.

Barbro Heikinmatti ’s experimental purses.

I’m an art and craft historian by trade, and you know how much I love tapestry crochet. Can you tell that I’m excited?

I had no idea tapestry crochet was so widespread, but new information about long standing traditions are slowly coming to light, thanks to people like Larisa and Barbro. A BIG THANK YOU to each of you for sharing your research with us!!!

Barbro Heikinmatti (hillevi3 on Ravelry) belongs to the small Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. She attended my tapestry crochet workshop in Vasa / Vaasa, Finland, in 2005. Like most of the others, she was already an accomplished tapestry crocheter, but did manage to learn a few new things.

Iiro’s been eating from his bead tapestry crochet basket since 2005!

Barbro explains, “I think I did my first tapestry crochet when I crocheted/knitted a Korsnäs sweater in the early 80’s. Since then I have crocheted a few (giggle) purses and bags (more giggle). Yes, I love tapestry crochet, and thanks to Carol I learned how to add beads. I mostly crochet by simply casting on and see what will happen. That means I keep unraveling a lot.”

The sweater below was “Knitted / crocheted at Marketta Luutonen’s first workshop in Vasa in the 80’s. This traditional sweater was made for men in the 19th century, in the 20th and 21st also for women. Nowadays they are often changed into cardigans. Note that the tapestry crochet is worked in the back loop.”

Knitted and tapestry crocheted (into the back loop) wih Novita Marimba wool in 1984.

Detail of the sweater’s crochet and knitting.

“This bag (below) is perfect when I walk around the house doing things. I hang the purse around my neck.”

Tapestry crocheted with Sandnes Garn Mandarin Petit cotton in August 2007.

The bag (below) was “Improvised from Carol Ventura’s patterns in her book, More Tapestry Crochet. I can’t resist crocheted shopping bags and purses. This will be big enough to keep a few books and all the necessary things i.e. lipstick, pen, keys, wallet… Bird from Vibeke Lind’s “Sticka efter gamla nordiska mönster.”

Tapestry crocheted with Novita Kotiväki cotton in July 2008.

Barbro’s Bird Bag crocheted in April-May 2009.

“I do have to make a purse for my favorite spindle, don’t I??”

Tapestry crocheted in April 2009.

Tapestry crocheted cotton and linen Horse Around Purse, May 2009.

Barbro tapestry crocheting a cover for her spindle.

“My spindle, Precious (born at Journey Wheel), needed a cozy little home. I stole some elements from the Korsnäs sweater and crocheted them into both loops (traditionally worked into the back loop). I can’t resist the S-slinga (S-arabesque, festoon, creeper or whatever you prefer), so I use it quite often. The dancing girls are also fun to crochet. Bead crochet is a joy. I learned the technique at Carol Ventura’s workshop. I finally found a nice way to use a few meters of my handspun variegated merino-silkyarn, leftover from mother-in-law’s shawl.”

Not one day without a thread / Sine filo, nulla dies unum spindle holder crocheted in November 2009.

How did she do it? “Well, first you have to count your stitches. I had about 88 in the round, and the letters were planned to be 6-7 rounds high. I started to sketch in Excel, using colors close to my yarns. Carol Ventura has a great graph paper in her book More Tapestry Crochet, but I didn’t have it with me that day. I soon saw I had to crochet the text in two lines. I spread out the text to look balanced and started to crochet. It was GREAT fun!”

“I bead crocheted the rim, sew an inner lining, started thinking about how to close the purse. A casing was easiest to make. And Precious could go to bed in it’s new home!”

What will she be doing next? “Thanks to audio books that are now available everywhere, I will most certainly crochet more. I can’t tapestry crochet and read books simultaneously, which is what I do with knitting, lace crochet, and this autumn also spinning. My handspun merino-silk yarns are perfect for many projects: small purses, fingerless gloves etc. Maybe I’ll also start sketching own patterns, but that’s uncertain because of all the wonderful ethnic designs from all over the world that can be used.”

Are you hooked yet? If so, you can see more of Barbro’s work on Ravelry and you’ll want to follow her trilingual (Swedish / English / Finnish) blog.

Although Mohammed Assadi doesn’t know the difference between knitting and crochet, hooks and needles, or wool and cotton, he wrote a very interesting article for Reuters.com in August about how tapestry crochet is helping support industrious women in Palestine.

Palestinian tapestry crocheter and kippah

The short piece says that women in villages like Deir Abu Meshal on the West Bank have been producing religious headgear for their Jewish neighbors (and for export to the US) for years. The women told him that they enjoy making kippah while talking to each other and can tapestry crochet five a day.  At $3 each, that’s only $15,  but money goes further there than it does in the US.

Isn’t it wonderful that tapestry crochet not only helps put food on their tables, but also brings people together?

Like last year, my trip to Ghana was very interesting, but exhausting. A day after arriving home from the CGOA Conference in Buffalo, I was on a plane to Accra, then school started the day after I returned home from Ghana - so I’m still working on my recovery!

I started to tapestry crochet a bag with size 18 Omega nylon in the airport, then worked on it while waiting for the bus to Kumasi. This is how I looked after being awake for 24 hours - and I still had a 7 hour bus ride to go!

I was on the lookout for crochet everywhere! I didn’t see many examples, but did see some women wearing black net-like double crocheted hats and a few men with colorful single and tapestry crocheted hats.

Double and single crocheted hats in Sirigu.

Many Muslim men in Ghana wear tapestry crocheted hats. I spotted the gentleman below in Krofofrom while researching lost wax casting.

This Muslim man from Krofofrom told me that his hat was crocheted in Bogo, Ghana.

Fabulous imported tapestry crocheted hats worn in Kumasi.

A traveling salesman in Bolgatanga was selling both embroidered and tapestry crocheted hats. Guess which ones I bought?

Embroidered and crocheted men’s hats for sale in Bolgatanga.

While researching adinkra in Ntonso, I taught four members of the THREAD group how to tapestry crochet a cell phone bag. They learned how to double crochet in school with thread and small steel crochet hooks, but didn’t know the single crochet stitch, so it was a challenge for them to do the new stitch, carry the other thread, and change colors with a larger hook - but they eventually got it!

Women learning how to tapestry crochet a cell phone bag in Ntonso.

I was so busy the 3 weeks I worked and traveled in Ghana that I didn’t make much progress on my own bag. While waiting for the bus to bring me back to Accra, Arden approached me to ask what I was doing. I was so thrilled that she was interested that I gave her a mini lesson! She also learned just the double crochet stitch in school. After showing her how to single crochet and change colors, I handed her my bag and she gave it a try.

Arden gives tapestry crochet a try.

So I planted a few more tapestry crochet seeds in Ghana. Hopefully, they will take root and the next time I go to Ghana I will not have such a difficult time finding tapestry crochet!

I’m always on the lookout for crochet in my travels - and especially for tapestry crochet. Most of the treasures encountered on my recent trip to Germany were behind glass or Plexiglass and poorly lit because light fades fabric. Flash photography was not allowed for the same reason - so please excuse the poor quality of these photos. At least they allowed me to take pictures - many museums don’t nowadays.

Miser bags were among the most intriguing historic crocheted items I photographed. I was introduced to them during a 1999 Crochet Guild of America Conference workshop led by Gwen Blakely-Kinsler and B. J. Licko-Keel. Their Magical Miser Purses book includes a short history and several patterns.

Probably because miser bags were used as chain purses at the turn of the 19th century, they were exhibited together with coins and other numismatic items in several of the museums I visited. The most popular style has a slit in the middle where money is slid in and out, compartments at each end (one for coins and the other for paper money or coins of a different denomination), and metal rings in the middle to keep the money in the compartments.

These small bags are colorful and elegant. The compartments are usually single crocheted in rounds, while the center of the bag is often double or triple crocheted in rounds near the compartments, then back and forth in the middle to form the slit. The center is crocheted with one color thread, while the compartments are crocheted with contrasting colors. Some miser bags are decorated with stripes, as seen below.

Miser bag in the Albrechtsburg Castle Gatehouse Museum in Meissen.

Others feature intricate bead crocheted motifs (like the one below).

Bead crochet 1850’s miser purse in the Albrechtsburg Castle Museum in Meissen.

And a few are bead tapestry crocheted. Since the bead slides to the back of the stitch, the fabric looks different than expected because it shows what we consider the back side.

Bead tapestry crochet miser purse in the Bode Museum, Berlin.

The top two miser purses in the Folk Art Museum in Dresden are bead tapestry crocheted, while the bottom one is bead crocheted with one color thread.

Now that you know what to look for, I hope you’ll also be on the lookout for these beautiful miser’s treasures!

I’ll be Mary Beth Temple’s guest on blogtalkradio’s Getting Loopy! at 9pm Eastern time tomorrow night. You can listen online - or even better - you can call 646-915-8371 to ask questions and to share your tapestry crochet excitement! You’ll hear the show through the telephone when your call is connected, but you aren’t live on the air unless Mary Beth tells you. She will identify you by area code to the listeners.

You can also go to the live chat area - when you’re listening to the show there’s a box with Mary Beth’s photo and the show details near the upper right hand corner of your screen. In the upper right hand corner of that box, there should be a “chat available” icon. Click on through and join us! Chat is open about ten minutes before we go live - if you have a question that you are dying to ask, that’s a great way to reach us. If you have an account and are logged in, Mary Beth can see your user name, but you can chat even without an account - you will be assigned a temporary guest name. During the show you’ll be able to enter a contest to win an autographed copy of my Bead & Felted Tapestry Crochet book!

Don’t worry if you miss it because you can listen to the show when it’s over, too. The most recent one auto-plays at Getting Loopy! or you can go to BTR and select an archived show from the list. The archives are also available via RSS feed and ITunes. I’m really looking forward to a memorable experience!

I considered it “taking advantage” in my younger days, but now I rationalize, “They can always say no!” So what did I do this time? Well, when I heard that Adele Recklies was going to attend an International Bead & Beadwork Conference in Istanbul last summer, I emailed her (no, we have never met) with a request - to buy a few tapestry crochet purses for me (if she just happened to see them in her travels).  She graciously agreed to keep her eye out for them, but upon her return, reported that she had not found any. Of course, I understood. Then, out of the blue, she emailed me that she might have a lead to some Turkish tapestry crocheted purses - and sure enough - it all worked out and I’m now the proud owner of the tapestry crocheted bags below!

These 6″ high Turkish pouches were tapestry crocheted into the back loop with half double crochet stitches.

Detail of the half double crochet stitches done in the back loop. The color was changed before the stitch was completed.

The other thread was only carried in the row when it was needed and 2 threads were carried, when necessary. The colors where changed after each stitch was completed.

These tapestry crocheted drawstring purses were inspired by similar ones used in Ottoman times for coins. Crocheted into the back loop, some are half double crocheted, others double crocheted with very fine cotton and (what might be) nylon.

This 5″wide Turkish pouch was tapestry crocheted into the back loop with a double crochet stitch.

The next time you’re in Istanbul, make sure you visit Linda at the Deli Kizin Yeri (The Crazy Lady’s Place) in the Grand Bazaar! Unfortunately, she can’t do international orders, but she does have a great selection of these tapestry crocheted purses. I hope to eventually make my way there, but in the meantime, I have these wonderful treasures!

For my introduction to Turkish tapestry crochet purses, please look at my previous blog.

The best way to travel is to stay with a friend and let them show you around! That’s what I did in 2005 when I visited my Portuguese friend, Isabel. She brought me to many interesting places. Of course, wherever we went I was always on crochet alert.

Crochet is popular in Portugal. I found lots of beautiful filet crochet altar coverings in large and small churches – each uniquely incorporating motifs that included crosses, words, flowers, birds, and hearts.

Filet crochet covers the altars of many churches, including these in the Mafra Basilica.

Christian symbols adorn the altar covers.

I really enjoyed visiting the churches, not only for the fabulous architecture, but many of the altars were covered with incredible filet crochet.

Crocheted hats and scarves were also in fashion – on young and old alike. Since most people crochet in the privacy of their homes, it was not easy to find them, but I did spot a few. One woman was happily conversing with a friend in a park while crocheting a black wool hat.

This woman, wearing a crocheted hat and scarf, is crocheting a hat. She passed the wool behind her neck to create the proper tension.

Another was crocheting a border around a tablecloth while keeping an eye on an historic neighborhood chapel.

This woman from Sobral de Monte Agraço was crocheting a border around a woven tablecloth while keeping her eye on the Chapel of Santo Quintino. The chapel is kept open for visitors a few hours each week.

I even found a crochet enthusiast in a high school in Lisbon that specializes in the arts. Helena Estanqueiro, one of the fibers teachers, was very excited to learn about tapestry crochet, so I am confident that she will teach it to her students. Although my More Tapestry Crochet book is in English, Portuguese crocheters had no problem understanding the graphs and pictures.

Helena Estanqueiro, a weaving teacher from Escola António Arroio, really enjoyed learning how to do tapestry crochet.

No, I didn’t find tapestry crochet in Portugal, but I found lots of filet images and did my best to spread the word.

An earlier version of this blog was published in the March 2006 CGOA Chain Link Newsletter as Ambassador of Tapestry Crochet Goes to Portugal.

When asked where they get their ideas, artists usually say that they just pop into their head. In Wanda Blount’s case, they inspire her fingers. She says, “None of my work is written out. It comes to me and I just sit down and crochet it. . . I use regular acrylic, cotton and silk yarns. I also use mirrors, cowrie shells and buttons.”

Wanda models hats that she tapestry crocheted in the 1980’s.

She continues, “I’ve been crocheting for many years and was very serious about it at one time but then I moved from NY to Virginia and I kind of separated “my gift” from my spirit.”

These hats also date to the 1980’s.

“I started crocheting while I was still in high school. My uncle married a woman from the Phillipines and she crocheted doilies and bedspreads with cotton thread and the very small silver crochet hooks. I learned from her how to crochet pineapples and other lace patterns. I made a lot of doilies. I started making the patterns smaller so that I could crochet them into decorative skullcaps. From there, I started using more colors and textures - experimenting - so that I could see what I would end with.”

Wanda also tapestry crocheted these hats and the vest in the 1980’s.

“I usually see or dream about what it is that I want my work to look like and I start from there. I sometimes have to just think about what comes to me for few days before I can begin. It helps me to place my yarn out on the floor and just choose the colors that I want to use. I don’t have any set color scheme I just go with what moves me and with what I think looks great together. My work comes from spirit. I feel it before I start to crochet, while I am crocheting.”

Another tapestry crocheted hat that dates to the 1980’s.

“I haven’t always acknowledged my gift as something special, like other people have and I know that is because it came so easily for me. But I am becoming more confident and comfortable with seeing myself as an artist…and I like it .”

Wanda tapestry crocheted these hats in the 1990’s.

More of her fabulous tapestry crocheted hats from the 1990’s.

“I crocheted some of these hats while I was living in NY in 1990 and I crocheted some of them when I moved back to Virginia in 1991.  After I moved back to Virginia I would travel back and forth to NY to sell my hats. The majority of my sales came from word of mouth.”

This 1990’s tapestry crocheted hat can be worn two different ways!

“I worked mainly with Luster Sheen yarn by Red Heart. I also used Lion Brand acrylics and other types of yarn.  I sometimes used various types of left over yarn that I purchased from thrift stores.”

More of Wanda’s hats from the 1990’s.

“Now that I have come to grips that it is a God given blessing, I am flooding my spirit with crocheting once again. I hope to become published real soon.”

A few more of Wanda’s tapestry crocheted hats from the 1990’s.

I can’t wait to see her latest inspirations! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to keep an eye on Wanda’s Flickr page - because this funkycrochetdiva (Wanda’s name on Ravelry) will be posting pictures of her new work there!

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Update: Wanda’s free African Safari Hat pattern is included in the current issue of Black Purl Magazine!!!

Sit back and prepare to be amazed! Thirdsister, aka Kris King from Longmont, Colorado, is bringing tapestry crochet to a whole new level.

She looks innocent enough, but watch out!
This inventive woman is mega talented!

Circular motifs have always been a challenge, but by combining back loop and standard single crochet stitches, she’s able to tapestry crochet curves with much smoother transitions. As Kris explained it to our Yahoo Group, “I work into the back loop in certain situations to get a less jagged edge on a color change.  Diagonals to the left (from bottom to top) are smooth in single crochet due to the inherent slant of the stitch.  But diagonals to the right are jagged.  By working into the back loop at the color change I smooth this out a bit.  I find this technique helps on horizontal color changes too — a less toothy edge.  It also helps to connect a line when otherwise it would be broken . . . I’ve found that by using the back-loop technique I’m able to use symmetrical patterns which I had passed over previously because of the difference in left-to-right and right-to-left diagonals.  The two still look different, but now left-to-right one-stitch-wide diagonals connect enough for the diagonal to look more like a diagonal than a series of dots.”

Naturally dyed handspun wool S Vessel, 2007 (motif based on one in Salish Indian Sweaters by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts) and Celtic Knot Vessel.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First a little about her roots, in her own words: “I’m one of five kids from a military family. We moved around a lot. I have three sisters, all of whom knit, crochet, weave, spin, or something. My mom taught us all the crafts we know except spinning and weaving. I started crocheting at about 10 years old. Although everyone in my family crochets, I am “the crocheter” of the family. I don’t knit – I’ve tried a couple of times, but just can’t get it. But that is okay, as everyone else knits, including my oldest daughter, and I get really great sweaters, socks, and gloves from them. I would be really crazy to learn to knit now! Crocheting was a way for me, as a teenager, to find solace in solitude. Mostly I made doilies and afghans (from kits). I did macramé also – even making earrings for my sisters from sewing thread and beads.”

“I didn’t do much crocheting during college, through my professional career as a computer programmer, and the first part of raising a family. When my husband and I started a family we decided that one of us needed to stay home full time. I won – it’s been a great journey. We have two daughters – both now in college – two of the most wonderful young women you could ever hope to meet. Both were home-schooled up until high school, which was fairly time consuming, so I didn’t get a lot of time to crochet.”

“When the girls were small my husband surprised me by signing me up for a beginning spinning class. I was hooked. I loved it. I didn’t have lots of time for spinning, but once I learned the basics, spinning was something I could do in short periods of time between other activities. After a couple of years I had lots of yarn just lying around. So crochet came back into my life. I happened to have a copy of Tapestry Crochet – in fact I had two copies, not only did I think it was going to be a good technique for me, but one of my sisters did too. My first project was a small spiral vessel from my handspun that now sits on my husband’s desk at work holding his pencils. My second project was a large bag (below) I learned a lot from these projects.”

Can you believe that this original 21″ x 12″ handspun bag is Kris’s Second Tapestry Crochet Project? OMG!

“I realized that the kind of tapestry crochet objects I wanted to make required a stiffer yarn than what I had been spinning or could buy, so I started spinning singles from Lincoln, a longwool sheep, specifically for tapestry crochet. These yarns were fairly inelastic such that, in tapestry crochet, I ended up with a fabric that was fairly stiff.”

Natural color handspun wool Dragon Bag (motif from the Little Dragon in Catherine Cartwright-Jones’ book, The Tap Dancing Lizard).

“I’ve enjoyed the journey of discovery with tapestry crochet – how much tension to use (go smaller in hook size instead of trying to crochet tighter), various ways to end and begin rows, shapes beyond just cylinders, the nature slant of crochet and how to make it an asset instead of a detriment, how to use variation between the front and back loop to achieve different results (see below). And that process just continues. Tapestry crochet works like a good science – the more questions I research and answer, the more questions are created.”

Left is tapestry crocheted as usual, right shows some front loops.

“I’ve taught tapestry crochet a couple of times. Teaching is such a different experience. One of the best ways to advance one’s own skill is to teach it to others. I really enjoy teaching others to make tapestry crochet bags (see below). Cotton yarn works well for these – very little elasticity.”

Cotton tapestry crocheted bags.

“I tried flat tapestry crochet once – in a dragon afghan. That was a real experience! There were so many technical aspects to figure out – it was loads of fun.”

Naturally dyed handspun wool flat tapestry crochet Dragon Afghan, 2005-2006 (based on a pattern in Cross Stitch Patterns, edited by Thelma M. Nye, published in 1970 by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company).

“Generally I don’t have deadlines on any projects, even projects that are intended as gifts from the onset. People who receive my crocheted projects know me well enough to know that I just can’t abide by restrictions of the calendar. They are accustomed to receiving Christmas presents from me in July. It is very nice to not feel pressured in my projects.”

“I really like dragons. I’ve made two bags with dragons and two afghans.”

Cotton 11″ high tapestry crochet Dragon Bag, 2007 (motif adapted from the Chinese Imperial Dragon in Catherine Cartwright-Jones’ book, The Tap Dancing Lizard).

Kris loves all sorts of dragons! She tapestry crocheted this 5″ tall Dragonfly Vessel in 2007 with naturally colored handspun (the motif based is on a 1912 filet crochet pattern in The New Filet Crochet Book by Anna Wuerfel Brown, published by Cora Kirchmaier).

“Patterns for tapestry crochet exist just about everywhere. I’ve used patterns specifically for tapestry crochet, but also filet crochet patterns, two-color knitting patterns – any charted pattern works. The proportions on patterns will vary when done in tapestry crochet. Generally the design ends up being a little skinnier than it looks on paper – especially when using knitted designs. The designs I’ve used are not hindered by this. I especially like Celtic knots. I’ve been exploring more curvy designs and I like those a lot.”

Natural color handspun Celtic Knot Vessels, 2007 and 14″ Pillow. The motifs on these projects are from Alice Starmore’s Charts for Colour Knitting.

Natural color handspun wool 4 1/2″ high Swirl Vessel, 2007 (motif is from Charts for Colour Knitting by Alice Starmore), and 4 1/2″ high Curvy Tapestry Crochet Vessel, 2008.

“I have several tapestry crochet ideas for the future. I want to break out of overall symmetric designs – using multiple motifs instead of repeating one or two. I want to create a plate-or bowl-like object that is two sided – the right side of the crochet on both sides – two canvases for different designs. I want to explore non-cylindrical shapes – I haven’t been that pleased with my results in the past. I want to explore curves more also. And I want to master left-handed crocheting such that I can do flat pieces without cutting the thread at the end of each row.”

Natural color handspun wool Rooster (the motif based is on a 1912 filet crochet pattern in The New Filet Crochet Book by Anna Wuerfel Brown, published by Cora Kirchmaier) and Hummingbird Baskets.

“I correspond with my fiber sisters on a day-to-day basis. This fiber family includes my mom, my three sisters, my oldest daughter, knitting friends from my neighborhood, friends from our local guild, friends from Ravelry (that I’ve never met in person – the internet is great!), friends from classes. Ravelry is a fantastic resource!”

“Every year many of these friends meet at the Estes Park Wool Market in June in Colorado. We rent a cabin (this year 2 cabins!) and have a giant fiber slumber party for 4 to 5 days. It’s really cool. We work very hard at our classes during the day, and then sit around knitting and crocheting and teaching each other in the evenings. The sharing of knowledge and experience is wonderful. I have a delightful picture in my head of a friend teaching my daughter to knit continental style.”

“I’m a member of the Handweavers Guild of Boulder. This is a wonderful group; great programs, great people, great inspiration and support.”

Felted Tapestry Crochet Bag, 15″ x 13″, Lion Wool, 2007.

“This vessel (below) was an experiment in how to join rows. If you work in a spiral, you get a jag in the stripe that is disconcerting. In the past I’ve done the normal crochet row join (chain at beginning of row, slip stitch into that chain at the end of the row), which didn’t give good results. So I tried something new: chain at the beginning of a round to get up to the next round – this chain will NOT show as it ends up being on the inside of the work. At the end of the round take your hook out of your work. From the back, insert the hook into the back loop only of the first single crochet of that row. Grab the free loop and pull it through, then do a chain to get up to the next row (you have to pay attention to tension to make sure this loop isn’t too tight or loose). The first single crochet in the next round goes into both loops of the first single crochet of the last row. This is the same single crochet that you just pulled your free loop through.”

Another Celtic Knot Vessel tapestry crocheted with handspun in 2008. Notice the way the rounds are joined down the center of the detail - her own innovation!

“In this technique and the normal joining technique you have that one joining stitch where part of the stitch is done at the beginning of the round (the chain to get up to that round) and the rest of the stitch is done at the end of the round. BUT – with this technique, the chain stitch at the beginning of the round doesn’t show. So you don’t have to worry about this part when you are changing colors for the joining stitch from one row to the next.”

If you like what you see here, Kris has more pictures of her amazing fiber art at Ravelry and Flickr. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she will explore next! I’m so inspired by what she’s doing, I made up a new word to describe it - yes, Thirdsister is a true tapestry crochet explorationist!

It’s mostly through the internet that I’ve been able to share my love of tapestry crochet. In fact, without it, I never would have considered self publishing my More Tapestry Crochet, Bead & Felted Tapestry Crochet, and backstrap weaving books. A previous blog showed how it’s also enabled me to publish and sell individual online patterns on Lulu.

My Tapestry Crochet Yahoo Group has introduced me to people around the world. If you’re not already a member, I hope you’ll join! It’s free and full of wonderful, sharing people who post pictures and ask and answer just about everything about tapestry crochet.

Ravelry is another fantastic online forum dedicated to all sorts of fiber arts and beyond. I had to wait a few months before I was invited to join, but it was worth the wait! If you’re already a Raveler, then please consider joining the Tapestry Crochet group there, too!

The Crochet Classroom is a teaching forum for all types of crochet, including tapestry crochet.

Several other online groups, including Happy Hooker and Crochetville, are not exclusively about tapestry crochet, but some members post about it. All of these groups are free, but you need to apply to join.

A Tapestry Crochet Flickr group has LOTS of wonderful pictures and another forum. Plus, pictures posted to Flickr can bee seen on other sites, including my pages at Indiepublic (that features independent artists and craftspeople) and CrochetMe and Ravelry.

My free videos on YouTube show how to design and bead tapestry crochet and how to bead tapestry crochet a basket (pattern instructions on page 11). Another video features tapestry crochet around the world.

And of course, there is my tapestry crochet web page - with links to my gallery, some free patterns that have links to tutorials, and more!

This, of course, is just the tip of the tapestry crochet iceberg! You will find lots more sites by searching “tapestry crochet” or “colorwork” or “jacquard crochet” or “intarsia crochet” or “korsnas crochet” or “fair isle crochet“ or “hard crochet” or “crochet jacquard.”

Yes, the internet is the great enabler! Unfortunately, many of my friends and colleagues are internet phobic. I wish they would get over it and discover the charm and potential! I know I’m speaking to the choir, but that’s the great thing about this blog - I will do it because I can! What freedom!

Have you seen these marvelous tapestry crocheted mandalas on Yahoo Tapestry Crochet and Ravelry by Sriyana? The more I see and read about this talented woman, the more I want to see and know!

Stacey Glasgow, aka Sriyana, with her prize-winning Woodland and Star Mandalas.

When I asked Stacey if I could blog about her work, she not only agreed, but helped by emailing me the following: 

“Originally from Michigan, I grew up on the northern edge of Detroit. As a young girl I was drawn to old-timey handcrafts, and all forms of art. My grandmother knew how to crochet, and at my request, taught me the basics when I was about eight years old. Soon afterward, I enthusiastically improvised my first original crochet project –- a simple pastel-striped baby blanket with ruffled edge for my newborn cousin. I continued to crochet on and off over the years, and although I found I was actually good at reading patterns, I often experimented with crocheting my own basic designs.”

“In 2002, after an eleven-month adventure in a small RV, my husband and I settled in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Over the next few years, I did some drawing and painting, something I’ve always loved to do. I began work on a painted mandala. ‘Mandala’ is an ancient Sanskrit term, loosely translated to mean ‘circle.’ The creation of mandalas is an ancient art form, the process of which is said to open communication between the conscious and subconscious mind. Mandalas are used in many religious traditions, and were studied and used by Carl Jung in his work. Jung said, ‘Drawing mandalas expands one’s thinking, exercises integrity, exposes unconscious traits, focuses attention and brings self-knowledge. It calms and relaxes the psyche.’ ”

Hawaiian dates to 2006 and Helios to 2007.

“During this time, I attempted some crocheted color-work designs using standard graph paper, but was dissatisfied with the results, due to the many loose ends and floats, and the distortion of the motifs. I began searching the Internet for ‘crocheted tapestries,’ and found Carol Ventura’s books. I was elated, and placed my order for More Tapestry Crochet. As soon as it arrived at my door, I ravenously scanned Carol’s tutorial of the tapestry crochet technique. A light went on, and the floodgates were open! I immediately began designing my own tapestry crochet projects.”

“In 2005, I decided to improvise a tapestry-crocheted mandala. It became the first of many, and in 2007, I devoted much of my time to this newfound passion.”

“Many things give me inspiration for my mandala designs, including the beautiful natural surroundings here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I live. Stars, trees, flowers and plants, and other symbols of nature all find their way into my work.”

These Knight and Bloom Mandalas date to 2007.

“Music and dance also inspire me. My husband has a talent for writing songs, and is often sitting alongside me, playing and singing as I work. Music is one of the things that brought us together, and continues to nurture the bond between us. I sing harmony with him, and offer suggestions when he’s stuck on a lyric. I also love to dance, and have a great little circle of friends here in Asheville who share that passion. We get together as regularly as possible, often with their new babies in tow, to practice fusion-style bellydance. Gathering with these goddess-women is always inspiring to me. The spiral is a basic form of movement, as inherent in dance as it is in other forms of nature. My dancing and my mandalas, with their basic spiral form, feel closely connected.”

“I also enjoy reading about the folk arts of widely varying, fascinating cultures, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch, Native American, Scandinavian, Middle Eastern and Indonesian traditions. It is inspiring and humbling to find parallels and connections between my work and the work of artists from all over the world, who may have lived hundreds, or even thousands of years ago, all the way up to the present. My little collection of well-loved books on the subject is always growing, and I visit museums whenever I have the opportunity. Although my traveling experience has been relatively limited, I do love to travel, and hope to do more of it in the future. There are so many places I read about that I would like to visit. Ravelry.com has been a windfall, providing the opportunity to virtually ‘meet’ fiber artists from all over the world.”

This Earth Mandala dates to 2007.

“My mandalas have, thus far, been crocheted out of wool. Much of the yarn I use is spun from fleeces produced locally by Bovidae Farm in Mars Hill, NC, where I can stop and pet the sheep while visiting their wonderful on-site yarn shop. Their fleeces are sent out to Bartlett Yarns, Inc. in Maine, to be processed into yarn in one of the last ‘spinning mule‘ mills in existence in the US, and are then returned to be sold on the farm where they originated.”

“My mandalas are worked in a continuous spiral, often carrying five to eight colors simultaneously. I also end-off colors and add in new ones as I go, so that a completed mandala may end up with as many as seventeen colors and shades, like my Star Flower Mandala Tapestry . . . or more!”

This Star Flower Mandala dates to 2007.

“Once I’ve reached the desired size for a particular mandala, I crochet the last row around a brass-coated steel wire macramé hoop [what a GREAT idea!!!]. This allows me to easily display them, nice and flat, on a wall.”

“Each mandala I create is one-of-a-kind, an improvised design that reveals itself gradually as it develops outward from its center. This unfolding process is meditative, but also exciting. The journey of their creation is therapeutic work, and the final result is always something of a surprise. My mandalas are intended to be enjoyed as wall-hanging tapestries in sacred spaces.”

Stacey explained her technique and added these encouraging words on Ravelry:

“I am not a math person, by nature. So I calculate as little as possible! Making flat circular designs is something you will just get the hang of with some trial and error. I know it can be frustrating, but don’t give up, the ‘AHA!’ moment is just around the corner!”

“I use the increases to branch my designs out, and/or start new motifs right on the increases. Sometimes I do just slip in increases wherever they work, regardless of rules, but I do try to stagger them around from row to row to avoid creating any points on my circle. If you have Carol’s book, More Tapestry Crochet, check out the pattern for the blanket on page 85. I have used the first 19 Rounds of that as an increase guide for getting a flat circle started.”

“Just remember, your design has to accommodate expansion as the circle gets larger . . . so you must either add a new motif when you increase, or make your original motif or background color triangulate out like a slice of pie. If you think of it as a circle made of pie slices, you might get the ‘aha’ moment…or you might just get hungry. Get a slice of pie, (I like coconut cream . . . mmm . . . coconut cream . . . sorry, Homer Simpson moment, there), and keep practicing!”

“This was worked using the back-loop tapestry crochet technique. The design is my own, based on traditional Scandinavian-style motifs. I incorporated a pass-through slot into the scarf, at my sister’s request.”

Stacey also designs tapestry crochet clothing and accessories - but mandalas are her passion. I’m really looking forward to seeing her new work - which I find calming and exhilarating at the same time!

Another tapestry crochet artist of note is laracroft (her web name, of course). Although originally from Canada, after 20 years of living in Spain, it should not be surprising that Danielle has chosen the European back loop tapestry crochet technique. She says it best (the following is from emails or was originally posted on Danielle’s blog and in Ravelry):

Danielle’s Hat and her Russian Princess Hat (designed by Annette Petavy, from the French crochet magazine, 1000 Mailles) with Danielle’s addition of a tapestry crochet border.

“I live and work as a classical musician in Barcelona, but really I’m from Toronto. I started seriously crocheting last October (2006) when I injured my back, but now that my back is fine I find myself with a serious yarn abuse problem. But the only thing I have in common with Lara Croft is our taste for Bach.”

“Mine is about Crochet Jacquard, or as the Americans call it, Tapestry Crochet. If you always work into the back loop, your designs will not lean over to the right, and the carried thread will not show through.”

“The cuff [below] is done in a new and utterly impossible technique which me and some girls from Ravelry have dubbed “Mensa Stitch” but which is also known as Backwards Crochet. In the small photo to the left you can see my new version of the cuff, now that I’m a bit more adventurous in Mensa Stitch. On the right is the button band, just waiting for some buttons.”

Danielle’s Cuff.

Danielle’s gloves were made for the Spanish glove swap, GUANTAZO, for a friend who likes skulls and purple!

“I came to Tapestry Crochet, not through tapestry crochet or even via crochet at all. I discovered it while surfing through Scandinavian knitting links. My biggest love in the fiber world is Nordic stranded colourwork, which turns on all my lights. One day I found a site called “Nordic Fiber Arts” and started scanning through their book list. When I came to a title called “Decorative Crocheting” my heart started racing. There on the cover was an exquisite, intricate stranded sweater, ostensibly crocheted! To me this was like Redemption from on high, because although I love the look of knitting, I find the act of it unspeakably tedious, while I simply love to crochet. Several seconds later I had ordered the book and started burrowing all over the Net to find more links and photos. By the time the book arrived at my door two weeks later, I had already figured out the technique by zooming in on the very few images then available, and was obsessively experimenting with it. Later I discovered your beautiful work, Carol, and was terribly disappointed to discover that I was not in fact the First Man on the Moon! Still later you posted your article on TC in Korsnäs and I went wild with delight over the photos, and wild with jealousy that you got to go there!!”

“Not much has changed since then: my first love is still Nordic colourwork. My second love is Medieval Art, and I suppose a little of that may be reflected in the designs that come to me. I have (obviously) a bit of a penchant for little cross motifs which are all over Scandinavian and Baltic knitting, and also figure highly in medieval decorative art.”

The motif on Danielle’s Latvian Mitten Handbag is from Latvian mitten designs.

“I consider myself very much a beginner still. I’d like to be able to say “Dale of Norway, move over!” but honestly a couple of hats, a few socks and a pair of gloves are not much competition for the masterpieces those northern folks have been making for the last couple of centuries.”

“And the best part is, after removing the icky circular needle which made the thing [below] look like a hula skirt, amazingly it turns out that it actually fits the DH [Dear Husband]!! However, the experience while character-building did not change the fact that I find knitting very, very tiresome. I’m glad it’s over, glad to be twirling again and finally done with all that Poking About with Pointy Sticks.”

Danielle’s WIP [Work in Progress] Korsnas sweater.

“And that’s it, the whole knitted section [above], thank God. I have paid my dues, and I have proven to myself that I can knit. I can knit while watching CSI. I can knit with 2 strands, and even with 3 strands. Well, actually that last bit is not entirely true. 3 strands is not my strong point.”

“I hardly have time to crochet these days. I like doing 5 or 6 test runs before making anything pretty, but that’s a luxury I don’t seem to have these days. So my dear, I wish I could have made your birthday present a bit classier, but you’ll have to be satisfied with this thing [below].”

The design on Danielle’s Garden Pouch is from Plate LXV of La Vera Perfezione del Disegno per Punti e Ricami, 1561.

“This is certainly getting closer [below]. Only problem is, this was supposed to be a Troubador Sock, or rather a Trouvère sock, and somehow it got to looking like a Santa Claus sock. No matter, I can always hang it off the mantelpiece on Christmas Eve.”

First, a few test pieces, then voila!

“I can’t believe it. Tejemanejes, the Spanish online knit magazine, are going to PUBLISH (omgomg) these very Troubadour Socks [below] in their next issue! In celebration of which I have decided to give them their very own Name, since Troubadour Socks Number 1 is less than romantic. No, like roses each sock deserves its Name, and this sock is hereby named after that most excellent troubadour, Bernart de Ventadorn. (He probably would have worn them, too, airy-fairy poetic type that he was, if only he’d had a day job to help him with the purchase of luxuries like socks.)”

Danielle’s Bernart de Ventadorn Troubadour Socks.

“. . . a pair of my Troubador Socks should be in the next [Spring 2008] issue of Interweave Crochet, unless something terrible occurs like they decide they hate them or forget to put them in.”

“Here’s a new technique I’m trying to get the hang of. It’s promising, but I fail to get the measurement right before felting. This is TC but leaving floats instead of carrying the second strand. Using a bulky 100% wool for the floats which after felting becomes a fuzzy, warm, thrum-like lining.”

“I’m a classical guitarist and I play, teach, conduct and crochet (and sometimes knit too) in Barcelona. Some days I have a hard time deciding which I like better, music or crochet. Guess I’ll have to keep doing both.”

I have not had the pleasure of hearing Danielle play, but if it’s anything like her unique approach to tapestry crochet, then it must be spectacular!

Update: Danielle’s free VAASA fingerless gloves pattern is included in the Spring 2008 issue of Black Purl Magazine!!!

I was going to post this next week, but was inspired by this beautiful New Year’s morning to share it with you today.

How did I hear about Bob’s love of tapestry crochet? You guessed it - the internet. I thought you might enjoy learning how he recently discovered the technique, has adapted some of my patterns, and is designing his own! Let me step aside and let Bob tell you about his tapestry crochet adventures [most of this was first posted at HappyHookers]:

“SilverStarShadow introduced the technique to me and I’ve been HOOKED ever since! I’ve made several stocking caps that had tapestry work done in the brim (just really simple patterns . . . like stripes for example). The people who received them were totally amazed. They thought they were woven. The hats I make are also pretty thick. I live in Michigan and can’t stand thin, wimpy hats . . . my balding head needs more padding . . . Now I’m ready to move onto something a bit more challenging. I tried to make one stocking cap that was supposed to have snowflakes going around the brim, but it just wouldn’t come out right. Then my sis (SilverStarShadow) sent me to Dr. Ventura’s website. The site has some YouTube files on it that made it much more clear to me as to the reason why my patterns were failing. It all has to do with the Graph Paper used [these papers are available in my tapestry crochet books and some papers are online Files in my Yahoo Tapestry Crochet Group]. Earlier this week, I ordered Dr. Ventura’s book More Tapestry Crochet. I’m eagerly waiting for it to arrive. Maybe it will make it to my mailbox today.”

“I started on this hat [below right] at noon and was done around 5 PM. It’s not complicated. All of the stitches are single crochets . . . It was just like magic appearing before my eyes.”

My Handspun Hats and Bobs hats.

“If I had to pick my worst made project, I would say that it was the Cat’s Meow bag [below]. The length vs. width just wasn’t a good combo. The bag looked too “tubish”.

My Cat’s Meow Purses from More Tapesty Crochet and Bob’s bottle carrier.

“I found a 2005 issue of Annies Favorite Crochet that has a beach bag tapestry crochet project in it. It’s called Patriotic Stars [see below]. The original is a dark navy background with white 5 pointed stars and trim. I’m using teal and orange. The colors reminded me of a beach ball.  The image with the yarn pieces sticking out is the inside of the bag (the knotted side). This bag is turning out better than the Cat’s Meow Bag I made several weeks ago. This time I’m using a smaller hook. I’ve also learned to keep a snug tension on the yarn and to keep the stitches tight. I’m not a tight crocheter so this time I’m using an F hook (I used a G on the other bag).”

“Yes . . . it is RHSS [Red Heart Super Saver] yarn. The colors used were Teal and Vibrant Orange. I always think of those 2 colors when I think of the beach. And this pattern is a beach bag tote. ”

My Patriotic Stars Bag and Bob’s Patriotic Stars Bag.

“It’s REALLY strong. It took me a bit longer than I thought it would take to get it finished. I got SO lost when it came time to create the strap. I got totally frustrated and walked away from it for 2 days. Then I finally figured out what the pattern was telling me. As you can see, everything is made as one entire piece. There is a chain of 150 that makes the beginning of the strap. The pattern just said “with blue, chain 150 and sc in the 72nd stitch around the bag”. I was making the chain and wasn’t carrying the orange along with it. That’s what kept messing me up. I had the strand of orange way over on the opposite side of the bag. Once I got myself back on track, I had it done in just a few days.”

“I’m tellin’ ya. . . You could put bricks in this bag, knock a mugger upside his head and STILL not break a single thread! LOLOLOL [Laugh Out Loud]. I’m very pleased with the final result. My tapestry skills have improved a LOT just since the last bag I made. SilverStar has that bag now. I was talking with her on the phone and telling her how nice the strap on the bag was turning out. And when the star bag was finally done, I told her that she needed to throw that trashy Cat’s Meow bag out! The strap on that bag wasn’t very good at all. I could see a lot of the carried yarn showing through. I think she’s going to use it as a “catch all” bag for her car. That bag has a strap that pulls through a slit on the opposite side of the bag so the bag stays shut. I actually like the strap that I just finished making a little better.”

“Originally, this bag [below] is done with a size Q hook and wool is used. Then the bag is to be felted. I used RHSS and switched my hook size to an F. The bag came out to be just under 6″ at the base. The bag is round at the bottom… I just squished it down so the picture would show the diameter at the bottom and the decreases at the top. I also changed the length of the strap.”

My felted Hip Hop and Bob’s Hip Hop bag.

“This [below] is another one of Carol Ventura’s designs. She named this pattern For The Birds! She got her inspiration for this bag from pre-Columbian interlocking designs from Peru and 20th century artist M. C Escher. Originally, this bag is supposed to have a diameter of 192 stitches. But because she uses thread type yarns and I don’t, I had to decrease the size of the pattern to keep from making a tote rather than something that’s handbag size. My bag is 96 stitches in diameter. Her pattern tells you how many stitches make up the motif so that you are able to increase/decrease the stitches to make a bag in the size you want.”

“This bag is being gifted to one of my good friends, Brian, in Arizona. He recently bought a very nice dig cam with extra memory cards and other accessories that can be used with it. He wanted a small bag to keep everything in so that nothing got misplaced. I think that this bag should be the perfect fit. The base of my bag is 7.5 inches long and 3 inches deep. I think that the finished height will be 11 inches once the strap is put on. Here’s some pics of my progress so far. The bags progress has been one of the main topics of discussion while talking to him on the phone. He hasn’t seen the pictures that are being shown in this post. The only thing he knows is that it is an interlocking mosaic/bird design. When I told him that the background color of the bag is actually another bird, I could hear the confusion in his voice. I’ll have a huge grin when I get the “I got the bag” phone call from him. He’s gonna be amazed when he see this.” 

My For the Birds from More Tapestry Crochet and Bob’s For the Birds Bag.

“The strap is taking a very long time to finish. It’s 298 stitches each time I make another round for the strap. I did 2 yellow, 2 green and 2 red. That equals 1,788 for one half of the strap. I’m on the last round of red for the first half.”

“This bag was a lot of fun to make. All of the constant color changing kept it from becoming a boring project. The strap took a very long time to complete. The straps design was for a larger bag . . . 2 rounds of each color on each side of the strap (4 yellow rounds in the center - then 2 green and 2 red rounds on each side). I also made the length of the strap much much longer than the original pattern called for. Because of the smaller bag size, I was going to rip back and do only one round of each color on each side of the strap, but the guy that this bag was made for wanted a comfortable “across the chest” strap. The bag was made smaller than the average tote because it’s going to be used for his dig cam and all of the other accessories that he uses. The finished look is VERY different. When I look at it, I see a large strap that seems to just belly out at the bottom creating a “bag”. Pretty cool result. I feel that the wide strap gave the bag a more masculine feel. I’m really happy with the way this bag turned out and he’s gonna have saucer sized eyes when he sees it. He’s seen some of the progress pics, but he will not get to see the pics that are posted here in this message. Besides . . . pictures don’t do tapestry bags justice. The picture can’t capture all of the texture in the bag. And the feel of a tapestry bag is different from any other handmade project I’ve had my hands on.”

Bob has also designed some fabulous pieces, including the stocking hats below. He described the 66″ long black and white hat and showed it’s progress in several HappyHookers postings:
“I did this hat’s [below right] brim a bit different than all of the other hats I’ve made. This brim is not made in the round. It was made from rows of back loop only. Then the beginning row was attached to the final row of the ribbing. Then I began crocheting stitches into the end of the tube shape I created. From that point, it’s done as tapestry crochet. There are a total of 6 stripes on this hat, 3 white and 3 black. The stripes will get thinner as the hat increases in length.”

Some of Bob’s tapestry crocheted stocking hats.

Bob describes his latest tapestry crochet pieces below, first the hat: “I . . . went down to a Size I hook and double stranded the 3 colors that were used. The finished result is a very thick hat that’s a perfect fit. It’s fit for a King!”

Bob’s latest pieces are a hat and his very own Fleur-de-Lis.

“I had been working on this graph project [above right] since before Thanksgiving. I really like the Fleur-De-Lis design and wanted to incorporate it into a tapestry project. Working from Tapestry Graph paper for right handed in the round, I began to graph out my design using PhotoShop. The paint bucket tool allowed me to color in the holes of the graph. This saves me a TON of money on ink. I can’t even begin to think of all graph paper that I have printed out so I could use a pencil to scribble in the idea that’s floating around in my head. I managed to get an overall design graphed up and then started to work on it.”

“I had to rip back a few times, but finally got the result I wanted . . . I had been working on for quite sometime so I got it all finished up . . . I’m thinking that this could be worked into a pair of mittens. Maybe even a hat/mitten set. I have lots of thoughts . . . it just gets complicated trying to get all those thoughts into a usable pattern.”

“If my math is correct, I’m pretty sure that I can put the design into a small sized handbag and still have everything come out evenly spaced. And I’m still thinking of mittens too . . . although I’ve never made a pair from a pattern, much less figuring out how to write down my own pattern . . . hhhmmmmmmmmm there goes my brain again LOL.”

Bob’s enthusiasm, generosity, and encouragement are inspiring others to appreciate and even try their hand at tapestry crochet. I hope you will be able to do the same! Wouldn’t this be a great New Year’s Resolution?

Doe Arnot is from Oamaru, New Zealand, on the East Coast of the South Island. After seeing the fabulous pictures that she posted of her masterpieces in my Yahoo Tapestry Crochet group, I had to know more. What follows are excerpts of doespins’ posts and emails that we exchanged:

“I’ve been crocheting since I was very young and have always loved working with lots of color. Here in NZ the light is so bright and clear and our low population density makes for really dark, starry nights. So my palette of colors reflects the countryside and seascape around me.”

“I learnt to do Tapestry Crochet by accident when I was a child 40 years ago and learning to crochet. My mum told me off for working over all my spare threads, but I’ve been doing it ever since. I discovered I really liked the fabric created by fair-isle style crochet working over the carried yarn.”

Doe tapestry crocheted the Tulips Vest (34″ chest) and Seahorse Vest (28″ chest) with hand dyed wool in 2003.

“I’m a crochet tutor and tapestry crochet is one of my favourite classes to teach. I hand dye (and sometimes handspin) practically all of my yarns, out of necessity, the colours sold here are too limited and its much easier to buy coned yarn in natural colours. I mostly keep an inventory of yarns in cream, light greys, white, etc. and dye the colours I need. These are much easier to buy here as they appear on the market in all types and sizes of yarn.”

“All the articles shown are hand dyed using synthetic dyes apart from the Birds Blanket. I have used natural dyestuff such as indigo, madder, and other plants for many years mostly for my own entertainment and fascination. Because this form of dyeing is so time consuming the articles I make usually go as gifts to the people I know would appreciate the time spent on them or remain in my personal collection.”

“I dye cotton, wool, silk, alpaca etc, but haven’t got into dyeing synthetic yarns as the process and chemicals are more complicated. I also keep a stash of undyed fibre ready to spin and dye. I also like the shaded look in both the yarns and the effects by for example dyeing one colour such as blue in a whole range of tones and shades. I do occassionally buy a commercially dyed yarn if its just the colour I’m looking for, but mostly I like to create my own colour choices and sometimes that includes happy accidents, where the colour wasn’t quite what I intended but actually really makes the piece come alive. Hand dyed colours have much more depth and life because the colour can be applied in a painterly fashion, and is not flat colour. I was an art teacher and art therapist originally so I tend to have the belief that spontaneity is desirable.”

Doe tapestry crocheted this Flap Hat with hand dyed alpaca in 2005. She tapestry crocheted most of the Black Oystercatcher Bag (2007, 13″ x 14″ hand dyed yarn) with alpaca and wool, but she used red silk for the beaks.

“Kaffe Fassett inspires me with his joyous use of colour on the blank canvas of stocking stitch knitting. Tapestry crochet is like that too, a very simple, repetitive stitch takes the supporting role for a free expression of colour, shape and design.”

Doe tapestry crocheted this woolen 12″ x 6″ Cross Bag in 2003.

“I started making circular designs by making mug coasters initially, which were quick to do and didn’t waste much yarn.”

This 20″ diameter woolen Porthole Mat dates to 2001.

“I have two of Carol’s books on tapestry crochet and I really appreciate her special graphs for working out my designs. I’ve been making bags with my own NZ bird designs. In teaching tapestry crochet here in NZ, I find Carol’s books really helpful. I encourage people to learn the basics and not be afraid of using the graphs or of making simple design decisions for themselves right in the beginning.”

Doe tapestry crocheted this 18″ x 8″ Pukeko Bag with alpaca in 2007.

“Graphing circular motifs isn’t too hard. I mentally divide a circle into 6 or twelve segments depending on the size motif(s) I want and draw one segment. The segment is drawn on squared paper (although you could use Carol’s paper too). I start with one square which represents the first round of 6 single crochet (or second round if its 12 segments). Then when I’ve charted the number of rounds to match the size of the mat I fill in the motifs with coloured pencils. Now the chart is a guide for my six or 12 segments but I don’t do the increases exactly where the chart shows them because as you know this makes straight edges on the tops of the segment stitches so I move my increase stitches on the rounds to a random pattern wherever I can without affecting the patterns to get a good curve to my finished circle. Charts are only a guide so I don’t get too bothered if I can’t increase on round 6 for example because the circle is flaring slightly, or need to make an increase round where the chart says no increase.”

“The Birds Blanket (below) worked in half double crochet plays with the forms and shapes of man and bird in primitive art. Dyed entirely with natural dyes, indigo, madder, onion skins, gorse, cochineal etc. I folded my daughter (as a baby) into its handspun, earthy warmth. The colors and yarn have withstood the test of time as it is now over 15 years old.”

Doe tapestry crocheted this 28″ x 40″ Birds Blanket in 1993 with her own natural dyed, handspun wool.

“I enjoy visiting art galleries and the fabric of woven tapestries is very inspirational.”

The wool (hand dyed and some handspun) of Blue Woman is not carried, but floats on the back of the 21″ x 32″ hanging that dates to 2004.

“In 1998 I began making tapestry crochet hats and bags and selling them through 3 galleries here in NZ. I priced them according to the materials cost, time they took, and this included dyeing and reskeining/balling the yarn, adding on taxes and the commission that the galleries would charge. I had to charge a low wage for my time because tapestry crochet is time consuming and no-one would buy the article if I even charged at even a minimum wage, so I discounted for enjoyment at making and designing the articles, etc. but picked an amount that I would be happy to receive for making these items.”

“It was very enjoyable whilst I could choose the amount of items I would supply and had control of what designs I made. However, when I started getting larger orders for the same two designs (i.e. mini-mass production) the pleasure diminished rapidly. There is still a lot of misunderstanding about one-off and each one is an original. Plus only making firm fabric for tapestry crochet for hats and bags was wrecking my shoulder. Now I’ve compromised and sell woven items, other forms of crochet and a little tapestry crochet.”

“I share a workshop in an old stone building promoting historic textile crafts in the Victorian precinct. I don’t sell or feature any of my work via the web at present although our textile co-operative (which is relatively new) is planning to do a website for our work. One of my exhibition pieces appears on the Creative Fibre website (it is not tapestry crochet but a mixed media piece with predominantly crochet in alpaca). I like the one to one contact of personal sales with my customer being able to physically handle the goods and my output is limited. I also supplement my income by teaching others to make their own crochet pieces.”

“I hope the many articles I have made over the years using this technique are still telling their stories in other people’s homes. For the future, I plan to make more fluid wearable items in this technique, mixing it with other styles of crochet and playing with felting (or fulling) techniques.”

I can’t decide which is best about Doe’s unique tapestry crochet - her wonderful designs or her fantastic color palette. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter - because together they make her work outstanding!

I found a hint of tapestry crochet in Bali while researching Indonesian crafts last summer with my husband. I didn’t see anyone doing it, but found the hat below in the Ubud market.

 
This is the only tapestry crochet that I saw in Bali. I bought it, even though it’s much too small for my head!

I did find LOTS of venders all over Bali crocheting beautiful lace-like tablecloths and garments with white and colored thread, though.

These industrious ladies crochet while waiting for customers.

More industrious vendors! The tops in the background on the left are crocheted.

I emailed Jean Howe, one of the founders of the Threads of Life (an organization that promotes traditional Indonesian spinning, dyeing, and weaving) to arrange for a guide and a room in Ubud ahead of time and to see if I could teach a tapestry crochet class there.  She said that the staff would probably be interested in learning, so I brought along thread, hooks, and my books.

Weti really caught on fast! She’s crocheting the handle on the right.

And so did Vita - also working on a handle. Vita was very excited to learn tapestry crochet because now she has something to do when there are no customers!

We ate most of our meals at the Rumah Roda Restaurant, located above the Threads of Life showroom, and stayed at the Rumah Roda Homestay. Rudi, our excellent Rumah Roda guide / driver, introduced us to weavers, carvers, ceramists, jewelers, etc. all over Bali. I haven’t finished my web pages about the crafts of Bali and Java, but the batik and filigree pages are done, if you would like to take a look.

The Roda family and the town of Ubud offered us a fantastic look at traditional Balinese culture. Over a 3 week period we witnessed a royal cremation and wedding, and helped Rudi and his family celebrate their son’s important first birthday. It was enlightening to see the important role that crafts played during these rituals. The Roda family is featured in the book, A Little Bit One O’Clock, written by William Ingram, another Threads of Life founder. I didn’t realize the fact until I began reading it in Bali. What a pleasant surprise when I realized that the family in the book was the same one that welcomed us into their home!

Most people go to Bali for the surfing, beaches, and night life. Not me! The crafts and traditional culture lured me there. I’m still organizing my 3,000+ photos and the information I gathered last May. What an experience!

In 2004 I participated in a Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad Program that was designed to help social science and humanities teachers better understand non-western cultures. For five weeks we visited famous sites and schools in Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, and Beijing. And of course, I brought along my tapestry crochet - with a motif that advertised my nationality (which was OK in China).

One of the first things we did in Shanghai was to pair off and spend the day with a “typical” family. Our hostess was Fei, an English teacher who had just returned from the US. After a very interesting visit to her school, we were invited to her condo, where she lives with Gu Tao (her husband) and their young daughter. I wasn’t sure what they would think of tapestry crochet, but I brought along my More Tapestry Crochet book, some thread, and several crochet hooks in the hopes that they would be interested. They were actually very excited to learn how to do tapestry crochet, especially Gu Tao and one of his relatives! Gu Tao, who was an engineer, had learned how to crochet in primary school. He was fortunate because crochet is no longer taught there.

Gu Tao, Fei, and a relative begin a tapestry crochet bag.

People in China enjoy spending time with each other in public. In fact, parks are informally divided into areas where groups of dancers, singers, musicians, game players, knitters, crocheters, etc. gather.

A popular game is played there with a crochet-covered ball. The idea is to gently toss the ball underhanded to your partner, not out of reach (as with Western games). The ball gracefully flows back and forth.

Unlike other countries where crochet is done in the privacy of one’s home, Chinese crocheters can be found enjoying the outdoors with their friends, often congregating in the same place every day. We had very little free time, but while the rest of our group was shopping, I usually looked for crocheters. 

I found these women crocheting sandals at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing.

Although I don’t speak Chinese, and their crochet hook was double-ended, the stitches were the same, so we had no trouble understanding each other! To introduce myself, I showed them my tapestry crocheted camera case, pointed to their work, then asked them (in pantomime) to lend me two colors of thread so that I could show them the tapestry crochet technique. They were so enthusiastic! They called their friends over and pretty soon, there was a small group huddled around me. This scenario happened over and over on our journey.

International symbols in action (notice the double ended hook).

These crocheted animal purses are wonderful, don’t you think? Yes, I bought one!

Although I did not find tapestry crochet in China, crochet was well integrated into the culture - from Buddhist cushions to Muslim head coverings.

I did my best to introduce China to tapestry crochet. Hopefully, it made a lasting impression.

On the Great Wall with the first tapestry crochet purse “made in China”.

I’m really looking forward to returning to China some day. The people are so friendly, enthusiastic, and innovative - and they like Americans! 

An earlier version of this blog was published in the January 2006 CGOA Chain Link Newsletter as Ambassador of Tapestry Crochet Goes to China.

My love of tapestry crochet and the internet have really expanded my world. Thanks to people like Marketta Luutonen, who teaches in the Master´s Program in Craft Design at the University of Joensuu in Helsinki and is the Managing Director of the Finnish Craft Organization, I learned that tapestry crochet is also done in southern Europe! Marketta has shared many of her tapestry crochet pictures with me, including the ones below from Turkey. You might recognize her name from some of her publications, including Decorative Crocheting (ISBN 951-96888-4-6).

Tapestry crocheted cotton bags that date to the 1800’s in the Costume Museum in Bursa.

These crocheted bags are for sale in the Antique Market in Turkey.

Marketta bought this tapestry crocheted cotton bag in Istanbul.

You guessed it, I just added Turkey to the list of places that I MUST VISIT SOON!

Maarit Aalto and I first met online when she was a Craft Science student at the Savonlinna Department of Teacher Education in Finland. At the time, she was working on samples for her Master’s Thesis, “Similarity of a Square-Ruled Graph and a Tapestry Crochet Motif Made with a Single Crochet Stitch.” Maarit graduated in 2004 and meeting her at the 2005 Crochet Days was quite a thrill! Maarit was both an instructor and one of my students there.

Maarit (left) helps one of her students with a project that she taught at Crochet Days, a woolen bag tapestry crocheted in rounds.

Maarit’s cotton bead tapestry crochet cell phone bag is a variation of the project that I taught her at Crochet Days.

As you can see from her thesis abstract, Maarit took a very scientific approach:

     “Tapestry crocheted textiles can be made in a variety of ways. The technique varies according to which crochet stitches are used, which part of the stitch on the previous row the hook is inserted into, whether the crocheter is right-handed or left-handed, whether the textile is crocheted one way or back and forth, how many colours are used and how the yarns are carried and switched.
     This study focused on the similarity of a square-ruled graph and a tapestry crochet motif made with a single crochet stitch. The chosen motif was the consecration cross, which is a circle with a cross inside it. Sixty samples were crocheted using different versions of the tapestry crochet technique. The samples were compared to the motif in the square-ruled graph. The aim of the study was to find out which tapestry crochet techniques produce a motif similar to a square-ruled graph to the right side, wrong side and both sides of the textile. This was studied with the sensory evaluation method. A group of ten people evaluated the samples. The group of techniques that produces motifs similar to the square-ruled graph were formed on the basis of the average grades of the evaluation. Another aim of the study was to analyze the visual differences caused by the tapestry crochet technique. This was done using the qualitative content analysis method.
     The study showed that a tapestry crochet motif similar to a square-ruled graph can be made in a variety of ways, so that the motif is either on the right or wrong side of the textile. In both cases the textile can be crocheted one way or back and forth. A motif similar to a square-ruled graph can appear on both sides of the textile with three different techniques, but none of them are practical. According to the content analysis there are no techniques that would produce a perfect motif.
     According to the study, a tapestry crochet motif similar to a square-ruled graph can be made with traditional tapestry crochet techniques or new versions of the technique. An improved version of reverse single crochet stitch was developed during the study, which makes it possible to make good looking tapestry crocheted textiles when crocheted back and forth.”

Maarit kept the samples, but a copy of her thesis (with photos of the samples) is at the Library of the Savonlinna Department of Teacher Education. She said, “I did 60 variations, but theoretically there are hundreds!” Maarit showed me the samples and some of her other tapestry crochet work and was kind enough to give me the pieces below.

Front and back of a cotton sample that Maarit tapestry crocheted back and forth, turning the piece at the end of every row, with alternating rows of the front and the back of the stitches.

Front and back of a cotton sample that Maarit tapestry crocheted from right to left with all the front of the stitches on one side of the fabric and all of the back of the stitches on the other side of the fabric.

Front and back of a pot holder that Maarit crocheted back and forth with wool, with all the front of the stitches on one side of the fabric and all of the back of the stitches on the other side of the fabric.

Front and back of a similar pot holder with a border.

Detail of a cotton bag that Maarit tapestry crocheted around 10 years ago when she was first experimenting with the technique.

Sisko Tynkkynen tapestry crocheted this cotton hat with the Finnish flag for one of Maarit’s children. It was tapestry crocheted from bottom to top, decreasing at the top.

Like most of us, just when you think you have something down, it surprises you! Maarit describes her experience with the mittens pictured below, “These tapestry crochet mittens are an example of “Woops, did I do something wrong?” I forgot to try the second mitten on while I was making it. I didn’t realize my tension was tighter so the second mitten turned out too small. The fine black woolen yarn is very difficult to work with and ripping out stitches is even more difficult. The mittens are still waiting for me to have more patience and time. I’m hoping to wear the mitten at Christmas. Hopefully this year! Someone once said that making mistakes is an efficient way of learning but unfortunately it’s also a bitter way.”

Maarit crocheted these mittens from the cuff up.

Maarit’s new job as an elementary school English teacher, and her 3 children and husband keep her quite busy. The Nordic Knitting Symposium she attended over the summer inspired her to try more new things. She says, “I feel like trying out ALL new techniques, yarns, colours etc. I do wish to live to be a hundred years old so I’ll have the time for all these lovely ideas.”

Maarit will give these knit mittens to a Member of Parliament in November. It’s a teacher’s campaign to remind the Finnish government about the importance of craft skills. 

I can relate to Maarit’s lack of time and eclectic interests because I love diversity and variety, too. May we all live to be at least a hundred!